Cork

On a long weekend in Lisbon this month, I had the opportunity to discover eco-friendly brands: good news for me, bad news for my wardrobe.

My purpose on this trip: #1eat well (always a top priority), #2 relax, #3 enjoy and have fun, #4 shop for Summer shoes, since Portugal is famous for it and #5 be in a new environment to get some change.
To fulfill #1, #2 and #3 in Lisbon, you just need to hang around: people are nice, ready to tell you what is behind a dish, food is good and quite cheap. There are pastel de nata (custard cake), pastel de bacalahau (codfish and cheese cake) and all sorts of puff pastries in almost every shop, fresh fruit juice and many places to visit.

Pastel de nata

Although it was full of French tourists, I managed to get the change I was looking for, as Lisbon is very colorful, sunny (!! Something rare these days in Paris) and reminded me of Istanbul and Andalusia (#5 ✅). Besides, Sintra is definitely a must-seen place (sport shoes required)!

My Proof sunglasses, Click-Clock alarm, Rutz shoes!

To fulfill #4, I checked many different shops (hipsters’ shops included) but succeeded in finding what I was searching for in LX Factory! An atmosphere similar to Williamsburg, New York, (↔ hipster yes) and full with nice restaurants and very nice shops! There, I found my Rutz shoes, made of cork, an eco-friendly material. The founders of this Portuguese brand aimed to combine the two major industries Portugal is famous for: footwear and cork (Portugal is the world-leading producer). I also found my Proof sunglasses! Yes, it was not on my travel list… but they are so nice I could not resist! Proof is an American brand which was founded in 2010 by the Dame brothers. The eyewears they make are all made of eco-friendly materials. For example, the sunglasses I bought are made of Cotton-based acetate & sustainably sourced wood, and -5-barrel hinges. Other brands followed this trend such as Kerbholz (2011) and Rezin (2016).
I was about to pay my new shades when I saw an alarm clock made of wood close to the cashier! Click-Clock by Gingko is an alarm clock made of walnut wood with digital display of the time, date and temperature. The display turns off after 20 seconds and turns on if you clap your hands or touch it. And yes I took it 🙂